I am a DIY’er at heart. Growing up extremely humble, a strong work ethic was something instilled in me at a very young age. My mom was the maker of all things. She could do anything. Quilting, canning, gardening (one trait that was not passed down), pottery, clothes making, etc. When I say everything, I mean seriously everything. I’m so glad I took an interest in my youth because it has definitely paid off. Don’t get me wrong, I like shiny new things, but the feeling I get when I create something is pure euphoric. Mainly because I know it’s my creation, my style.
When a friend told me that her boyfriends’ parents were selling all their stuff to move back home I immediately asked her if they were selling any furniture. She pulled up a picture of a tv armoire. Solid wood and in very good condition, so I jumped on it especially since they said they only wanted $100 for it. Not too bad considering the one I initially wanted from Crate & Barrel was $1200. Now, I love Crate & Barrel and if I would of had $1200 laying around, that one would be sitting in my dining room right now; however, I figured paying things light my electric, water, and putting money on my son’s lunch account was more important. 😂 So with that said, the $100 armoire was welcomed to our family.
After purchasing it, the armoire sat in out garage for oh I don’t know, 5 months. 😬 I will give my husband credit though. That thing is HEAVY. There was no way that him and I could have lifted that thing by ourselves. So it continued to sit, until my hubbys friend offered to help him bring it in. Maybe he was just being really nice or maybe my husband was sick of me asking him every other day to bring it in the house. Either way, it was finally in the house.
Now we’re getting to the good stuff! This is the before & after picture.
Are you inspired? Sure you are! So here is the list of all the tools I used, as well as the wood cuts to start my tv armoire turned hutch project.
Tools & hardware:
- Tape measure
- Level
- Pencil
- Electric screw driver
- Hammer
- Staple gun
- T50 Staples 9/16″
- Screw driver extension
- 180 grit sandpaper
- 120 grit sandpaper
- 12 – 1.5 inch wood screws
- Screwdriver extension
- 5/64″ drill bit
Materials & supplies:
- Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old White
- Annie Sloan Soft Wax – Clear
- Chip brush
- Water
- Towel
- Round brush or lint free cloth to apply the wax
- Tarp
Wood: (for two shelves)
- 2 – 42 x 16 x 1 (shelves)
- 4 – 16 x 2 x 1 (support pieces)
- 1 – 45 x 43.5 x .25 (back board)
Below are the step-by-step instructions on how I turned a tv armoire into my dream hutch. Please note, this project was completed over the course of 2 months. Having a full time job and two kids will do that to you. 😉
Now let’s get started!
Step 1: Take the doors off & remove all the hardware inside. This was the most challenging part. Good thing it’s step number 1. 😬 I seriously could kck myself for not taking a picture of the inside. Rookie move! Just imagine a raised platform, rails on the top and bottom for the doors, and about a 1000 screws.😖
Tip: You might need the screwdriver extension to get to the screws inside the raised platform.
Step 2: Put a tarp under the armoire.
Step 3: Clean the armoire with a towel and dish soap.
Step 4: Put the back board up. You might need two people to do this. I did it by myself, but I was doing some crazy yoga poses to do it. 😂 Use the staple gun with 9/16″ staples, staple along the edge on the back board to secure it to the back of the armoire.
This was the original backboard.
This is the new backboard.
Tip: If the staples don’t go in all the way, use a hammer to flatten the staples.
Step 5: Using 180 grit sandpaper, sand the edges of the backboard to ensure it is even where it connects to the armoire. Then use 120 grit sandpaper to give it a smooth finish.
Step 6: Clean the sides and inside of the armoire again to get any sand particles or debris from when you sanded.
Step 7: Apply one thin coat of paint inside the armoire. Allow the paint to dry.
Tip: Starting at the top and working your way down will prevent touching up from drippings. I did not do this, so I had a lot of touch ups. Hind sight is 20/20 though. 😑
Step 8: Apply a second coat of paint inside the armoire. Allow to completely dry.
Tip: I dabbed my paint brush in water then the paint. A little bit of chalk paint goes a long way. Chalk paint is normally quite thick so using water helps thin it out.
Step 9: Using a tape measure and pencil mark where you want the shelves. I spaced the bottom shelf 14 inches and the second shelf 12.5 inches.
Tip: If you have something in mind that you want to put on the shelf, I would measure the height of that item to make sure you space the shelves far enough apart.
Step 10: Align the support piece against the pencil markings. While holding the support piece use the level to make sure it is level, then use the pencil to outline the support piece while still holding it in place.
Step 11: Using a 5/64″ drill bit, drill three holes (evenly spaced from end to end) into the support. Make sure you do this while the support piece is up against the side so the drill bit creates a hole into the side of the armoire. Do not go all the way through the side.
Step 12: Using the electric screwdriver and 1.5 inch screws, screw the support piece in place.
Step 13: Repeat steps 9-12 until all support pieces are secured in place.
Tip: Before you start painting the support pieces, set the shelves on them, then use the level to ensure the shelf is level all the way across.
Step 14: Apply one thin coat of paint to the shelves. Allow to completely dry then apply a second coat.
Step 15: Apply the final coat of paint inside the armoire. You’ll paint the brackets and screws so they blend in.
Step 16: Using a round wax brush or lint free cloth apply one coat of soft wax to the entire inside of the armoire. Allow to dry for a few hours and apply a second coat.
Tip: I put some soft wax on a paper plate and dabbed it with the round brush. You’ll want to make sure to apply the wax in a circular motion.
Step 17: Repeat step 15 for the shelves.
Step 18: Place the shelves on the support pieces. The shelves should glide right in.
Step 19: Paint the outside of the armoire and the bottom doors. Apply one thin coat, allow to completely dry, then apply a second coat.
Step 20: Apply soft wax to the remainder of the armoire/hutch including the doors. Two coats total. Allow to completely dry in between coats. Make sure to apply in a circular motion.
Step 21: Add the knobs/hardware to the bottom doors then hang the doors back up.
See my pretty hardware I picked out? I stumbled across them at Anthropologie. They seriously have the cutest knobs! I really wanted something unique and I love anything brass or gold so I immediately fell in love with these. I initially was going to keep the doors, but I decided not too. So I only used the bird knobs for the bottom doors. I’m sure I’ll find something to put the other set of hardware on. 😂
Step 22: Style your new hutch!
I really love my new hutch! I am still in disbelief on the transformation. It looks like a completely different piece of furniture. Don’t you think?
Please note, not every tv armoire is built like this. I decided to do a blog post to give you an idea of how you can turn a piece of furniture meant for one purpose into something completely different.
I really hope you enjoyed my tutorial. I hope you leave here inspired to start working on a project you have been putting off. Getting started can be rough, but you’ll be that much more appreciative of your creation once it’s done.
Until next time. Happy DIYing friends. Xoxo
